Labor & Employment

Labor & Employment

Attracting and retaining a productive workforce is a more challenging task than ever, demanding a broad understanding of complex human resources issues. Employers face a maze of federal, state and local laws that regulate their conduct and the rights and benefits of their employees, while new laws are added every year. Unions have stepped up their organizing efforts in recent years, both in traditional union-represented sectors and new sectors of the economy. Jury verdicts against employers in employment discrimination cases continue to rise in number and amount. That's why our Labor & Employment attorneys are here to help.

Our Labor & Employment attorneys are committed to finding practical solutions to HR issues that meet our clients’ business objectives. We work closely with clients to anticipate and plan for potential trouble spots and to resolve problems before they get out of control. When disputes do arise, we vigorously pursue our clients’ interests in the courtroom or, where appropriate, through arbitration, mediation and other creative methods of dispute resolution. In addition, our Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation lawyers are focused on benefit cost containment for clients, and on the importance of competitively designed compensation/benefit programs to enhance employee recruiting and retention.

Effective representation of clients begins with prevention, and as a result, we are proactive in helping our clients avoid regulatory violations and claims, as well as aggressively managing the claims our clients do have. We provide periodic case updates to our clients as well as a monthly update to clients on items of interest to HR Directors, called HR Matters. We also offer interactive training sessions to clients, called Graydon Head Interactive, in which managers and supervisors participate in a mock trial to make learning a “hands on” activity.

We are an active member of the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution, an association of more than 500 companies, law firms and leaders from academia, the judiciary, government agencies and industry associations that is committed to the creative and practical use of alternative dispute resolution. We regularly represent our clients in arbitrations and mediations and encourage the use of such techniques where appropriate to resolve disputes quickly, fairly and efficiently.

When disputes cannot or should not be resolved through alternative means, we aggressively defend our clients in employment-related litigation. This includes claims for discrimination, hostile environment, intentional tort, implied contract, promissory estoppel, whistle blower, wrongful discharge, and violations of public policy.